Dan Aykroyd Says He Can Bust Ghosts With or Without Bill Murray

That slow sense of creeping dread is coming from Dan Aykroyd, who recently talked with Empire Magazine about the state of Ghostbusters 3. Aykroyd told the magazine they really want Rick Moranis to be a part of the movie – which would be a coup as the actor hasn’t appeared on screen since 1997 – and that he plans to go forward with or without Bill Murray. But only once the script is right, though.

Murray has eschewed doing mainstream comedies for over a decade, though he’s been known to put a cameo in here or there, and it’s fair to call his choices mercurial. That though is partly why he’s a beloved figure as he only briefly descended into some slightly hacky films – many of which have merits. These days he’s more likely to make a movie with friends than take seven figure paychecks.

The drum beat for Ghostbusters 3 has been audible for a while now (we’ve been reporting on it since 2009), partly because of fan interest, partly because Aykroyd will always talk about it. There was serious movement on the project for a while when The Office writers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky were attached, but that got scuttled when their also-scripted Year Onebombed. And then there’s been word that Harold Ramis and Murray had a falling out, which would make a reunion awkward.

In an era of franchise film-making, it’s no surprise that this keeps coming up, and a third film has long rumored to be something of a reboot with a younger cast in the wings to move the franchise forward. And in an era where “but who wants it?” isn’t as important a question as “does it have name recognition?” it is likely we will get a third film. My question is: How come no one asks Ernie Hudson what he thinks?

Damon worked in the film business as a Film Buyer for a theater chain for many years, which gives him an interesting perspective on the numbers. He's written for Collider, Chud, Screencrush, The DVD Journal and Binaryflix online, and was published by The New York Times and Willamette Week, along with his college, high school and middle school papers.